Income and Work

October 21, 2024 by Sean O'Leary
Report: WV Women Play Major Economic Role as Unpaid Caregivers

Public News Service, MSN - Women's labor force participation rate in West Virginia has fallen over the past two decades but more are performing unpaid work, mostly as caregivers, according to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. Read the full article. Working women continue to earn less than men, at just under $20 an…

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October 8, 2024 by WVCBP
New Report Highlights Women’s Paid and Unpaid Labor in West Virginia

For Immediate Release: October 8, 2024 Contact: Sean O'Leary, (304)-400-8899 Charleston, WV – Each year the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy releases our annual State of Working West Virginia report, which examines the Mountain State’s economy through the lens of its workers—the people who power our state and economy. While each year’s report has a slightly different focus, one consistent…

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October 8, 2024 by Sean O'Leary
State of Working West Virginia 2024: Women’s Paid and Unpaid Labor

Introduction This report is the 17th edition of the State of Working West Virginia, an annual series that examines West Virginia’s economy through the lens of its workers—the people who power our state and our economy. Previous editions have examined data on employment, income, racial disparities, job quality, and economic performance. While each year’s report…

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September 26, 2024 by WVCBP
Lawmakers Must Focus on Economy

Wheeling Intelligencer, The Intermountain - We are months away from the next regular session of the West Virginia Legislature, but the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Campaign for Jobs Digest includes some ideas about what lawmakers should prioritize. (Hint: It’s not incredibly archaic socio-cultural agendas.) Read the full article. Economic issues are still a…

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September 24, 2024 by WVCBP
W.Va. Needs Workforce, Education Improvements, Say Economists

West Virginia Public Broadcasting, River Cities Tribune and Register, West Virginia News - West Virginia continues to struggle in key economic areas, according to new data from the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce. The business group says the years-long trend requires policy solutions. Read the full article. Between 2013 and 2023, West Virginia was one of just…

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August 7, 2024 by WVCBP
Us & Them: Can Former Prisoners Help Fill Our Workforce Gaps?

West Virginia Public Broadcasting - There’s a serious labor shortage in the U.S. right now with millions of jobs going unfilled. Each year, West Virginia releases 50,000 people from state prisons and local jails and all those people need jobs.  Read the full article. On this episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay spotlights a recent…

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July 10, 2024 by Kelly Allen
Youth Work Permits Targeted in Broader Child Labor Law Rollbacks

Bloomberg - The reinvigorated debate over child labor laws has led some states to eliminate work permits for minors and their employers despite advocates’ arguments that they’re important safeguards against abuse. Read the full article. Alabama lawmakers this year followed their Arkansas and Iowa counterparts’ 2023 legislation to end work permit requirements for underage workers, as bill…

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March 28, 2024 by Seth DiStefano
Unemployment, Raw Milk Bills Become Law Without Governor’s Signature

West Virginia Watch, News from the States - Gov. Jim Justice has allowed two bills — one restructuring the state’s unemployment benefit program and another allowing the sale of raw milk — to become law without his signature. Read the full article. Justice neither vetoed nor signed Senate Bill 841 or House Bill 4911 before…

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March 18, 2024 by Kelly Allen
‘Youth Apprenticeship Program’ Bill Raises Child Labor Concerns for Advocates

West Virginia Watch, News from the States - A bill that would create a work apprenticeship program for 11th and 12th graders in West Virginia has raised concerns it may also expose them to hazardous working environments, including roofing operations. Read the full article. House Bill 5162 would direct the state Department of Education to create a…

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March 12, 2024 by Kelly Allen
Critics: Changes in WV Unemployment Benefits will Harm Families Amid Inflation

Public News Service - Critics say a bill passed by West Virginia lawmakers increases the bureaucratic red tape folks who rely on unemployment benefits have to navigate and could financially hurt families already struggling with the high cost of living and ongoing inflation. Read the full article. Kelly Allen, executive director with the West Virginia…

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